Gold Award Girl Scout Highlight - Cailey M.

13 May 2019

What was the name and purpose of your
gold award project?

My Girl Scout Gold Award project was called Firefighters
Reunited. Ever since I was a little girl, my family was a part
of our local fire company. My father is a Volunteer Firefighter, my
mother is a Ladies Auxiliary Member, and I am a Junior Member. I grew
up playing on the firetrucks and running around the station. When I
was younger, the fire company would hold family events such as bowling
and bingo nights to increase the camaraderie not only of the
firefighters, but of their families. Unfortunately, over the years
these events have dwindled down to nothing, and new members have
joined that don’t have the same bonds that some of the other members
do. I decided to change this by bringing back family-oriented events
and reuniting firefighting families.

What sustainable impact did your Gold Award project have on the community?

My Girl Scout Gold Award project created an improved bond and
enhanced trust in the first responders of my community. It takes many
qualities to be able to run into a burning building, unknowing of what
might await you once inside. Among these qualities are not only
courage and bravery, but trust. You need to know that your comrades
have your back, that they’re avidly waiting for you outside, and that
if something goes wrong, they’ll be there. My project connected the
more experienced fire company members with the newly introduced
members so that they could create this trust. By hosting events, the
firefighters and their families were able to spend time together and
create a bond that will last a lifetime. I also made a book of the
different events that I held and more ideas for the future so that the
camaraderie the members have gained will continue to grow after I
graduate.

What insights/takeaway did you gain from your project?

I took many things away in completing this project; one of the most
important things that I learned was that I could genuinely make a
difference in my community. Being able to see not only the
firefighters bond but their families was incredibly rewarding, and
knowing that it was because of something that I created made it all
the more worthwhile. I’m so proud that I was able to revive and
reinvent the camaraderie of the firefighting families now and for
years to come, and better the trust between the first responders in my
community.

What is your favorite memory of completing your Gold Award project?

My favorite memory of completing my Girl Scout Gold Award project is
seeing all of the families spend time with their kids. I found myself
getting very nostalgic as I looked on at the different events because
I remember attending similar events with my family when I was younger.
It was a very gratifying and surreal experience since I am now a
graduating high school senior, and I was able to bring these events
into the lives of children that were just like me. It’s terrifying to
watch someone you love run into a burning building while all you can
do is wait behind the safety tape, and I hope that I was able to
decrease these worries for family members by increasing the
camaraderie and trust in my community’s first responders.

Anything else you’d like to share?

As I prepare to graduate high school and move onto my future in
college, I am so proud to look back and say that I was able to make a
difference in my community. The camaraderie and trust in the first
responders of my community has increased tremendously, and I am so
glad to say that I had a big part in creating the bonds that will last
a lifetime and reuniting fire fighting families. I’d like to thank my
amazing mother for helping me with organizing the events that I
hosted, my father for being my hero and risking his life countless
times for others, my amazing Troop for all of their incredible
support, and the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ for giving me
the chance to share my story.

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